


Oh my God (They'll be Roommates)

by Umbr_el_on



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Awkward Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentioned Glenn Fraldarius, Mentioned Hilda Valentine Goneril, Mentioned Holst Goneril, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:41:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25936075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbr_el_on/pseuds/Umbr_el_on
Summary: When Felix went to take out his trash again after several days of relative quiet, he encountered Sylvain in the hallway. They both froze in surprise, but Felix shook himself out of it faster. With Glenn’s words from a week ago echoing in his head, Felix took a stab at making conversation.“We seem to create trash at the same pace.” Felix regretted his comment as soon as it came out.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 6
Kudos: 125
Collections: Sylvix Big Bang





	Oh my God (They'll be Roommates)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it feels amazing that it’s finally time to share this! I had a lot of fun writing this piece, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
> 
> There’s amazing art to go along with this fic by [@bringmemisery](https://mobile.twitter.com/bringmemisery) on Twitter! She’s a kind and wonderful person who makes great art, so please show her some love!
> 
> Thank you to Michael and Jess for cheering me along through writing this fic! I couldn’t have done it without all your love and support.

When he came home from the gym to see cardboard boxes torn open and sitting outside the apartment next to his, dread settled into Felix’s stomach. He knew he’d inevitably have a neighbor at some point, but being in a corner unit with no one next to him had been too wonderful to last forever. He tried to will himself to like the person who moved in next to him, but irritation still bubbled under his skin.

He was here to live alone and get some space, and the few weeks he’d gotten of having an empty apartment next to his had been ideal. The stranger had every right to be there, and Felix knew that logically, but it didn’t stop his visceral reaction. He prayed to a force he didn’t believe in that they’d be as quiet and contained as he was. Somehow, the haphazard pile of packing materials left him suspecting that wouldn’t be the case.

Before his new neighbor could emerge into the hall and attempt to greet him, Felix unlocked his door and slipped inside. His shoulders relaxed as soon as the door clicked behind him. He tossed his keys into their bowl and his jacket onto a hook, the sounds of moving furniture on the other side of the wall interrupting the usual peace of his unit. Pulling out his hair band and shaking his locks loose, Felix focused on preparing dinner to busy his hands and mind.

Every knife chop, every sizzle, and every banging pan in preparing dinner was punctuated by screeching wood and tasteless music. It was like his own personal hell, and even his favorite pasta dish wasn’t making up for it. If it were possible for sounds to be so obnoxious that they blocked taste, the ones from next door would be it.

Perhaps most irritating of all was the noise stopping seconds after his last bite. It was like the world was determined to cause him maximum annoyance for the evening. Given the last few decent days, it was probably a fair balance.

When no sounds resumed from the other side of the wall for a solid ten minutes, Felix decided to chance a call with Glenn. It was earlier than they usually spoke, but Felix doubted he’d settle down enough to patch up the rest of the evening without getting his feelings out somehow. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he speed dialed his brother. As usual, the phone was answered before it reached Felix’s ear.

“Hey, Fe! What’s up?” Glenn’s voice sounded distorted from the weak phone signal, though he was chipper all the same.

“I have a neighbor, and they’re already loud,” Felix deadpanned, his annoyance unrestrained.

Glenn laughed. “Moving is usually loud.”

“Is it usually this loud?” Felix held the phone away from his face and the screech of moving furniture echoed through the room as if on cue.

“Geez. Okay, that was pretty bad. I’m sure they’re getting settled, it won’t last forever.”

“I guess. Still, how should I put up with this in the meantime? I can hardly hear myself think,” Felix groaned.

“Give them a few days, I’m sure they’re fine. Until then, you put up with it like anyone else: grin and bear it,” Glenn answered, so firm and matter-of-fact that Felix knew better than to complain.

“I’ll call and update you,” Felix sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Glenn chuckled, ending the call before Felix could retort.

* * *

Felix’s neighbor was most certainly not fine. It had only been three days, but it felt like months had passed. Felix had discerned his neighbor was male based on their voice when they shouted over the phone, and he was awful at laying out a room judging by the number of times the space had been rearranged. The music interspersed between the shouting and rearranging was a bit more tame than it was the first day, but it still permeated the room.

Felix caved and put in his own headphones when the third hour of his neighbor’s music kicked in. Putting on his cleaning playlist, Felix went about vacuuming every surface he could find. With the day off, there wasn’t much else he could do to distract himself.

As he ran the hand vacuum over his countertops, he pondered what his neighbor was like. His mind had assigned them a very particular, not especially pleasant look. Scrawny, flat brown hair, neglected skin, probably around his height. Someone who acted like he was a hotshot, the kind of guy you’d meet in college that insisted he was cool and ached to be in a frat that wouldn’t accept him if he was the only person asking. This mental image was very punchable, which meant it was very convenient for Felix to maintain.

As fun as a fight with this imaginary guy sounded, Felix knew his dad would drag him back home if he stepped out of line. No punch was worth that, so the idea of picking a fight next time things got noisy was off the table.

Felix was yanked out of his own head by the vacuum stuttering and shutting off. He cursed and checked the tank, which was full to the brim with clumps of dust and crumbs. Walking over to the trash can, he found it too full to empty the vacuum into. Setting the vacuum on the counter, Felix put his phone and headphones next to the vacuum and hoisted the bag out.

When Felix opened his door and saw his neighbor bringing some trash out as well, he froze and mentally experienced a hard reboot.

His neighbor was… nothing like he’d pictured. What stood before him was a man who was tall and broad, with tan skin and wild red hair. A surprised but warm smile stretched his smooth lips, and Felix wanted to turn back into his apartment and beat a pillow. Of course his new neighbor had to look like _that_.

“Hey, it’s nice to finally meet you! I just moved in a few days ago,” he said, jerking his head towards his door as though it wasn’t obviously the one he’d just walked through.

“Hi. I know, I saw the boxes,” Felix nodded, but the action was too stiff to be normal.

The stranger looked over Felix for a second, but his smile didn’t waver. “The name’s Sylvain.”

“Felix.”

Now, the smile faltered alongside the conversation. “Looks like trash day for both of us. Care to make the walk down together?”

Felix knew there was no socially acceptable reason to refuse. With a subtle sigh, he nodded and began to walk, clutching his bag with white knuckles. Sylvain fell into step next to him, legs moving leisurely to match Felix’s shorter strides. He was even taller than Felix initially recognized.

“That corner unit must be great. Having fewer neighbors is always nice,” Sylvain said as they entered the stairwell.

“It is, I like to keep things quiet,” Felix answered, trying to balance small talk with pointed remarks.

Sylvain hummed and nodded. “I see. I was pretty noisy moving in, but I swear I’m not always like that.” He flashed an easy smile, and Felix squashed the handful of butterflies that stubbornly appeared in his stomach.

“I appreciate it.” Felix was satisfied by his answer and the lack of reaction it garnered.

They walked quietly outside and to the dumpster, tossing their bags into the container. Felix turned to walk back inside, and Sylvain followed close behind. It felt awkward to have someone he hardly knew walking with him, so Felix tested his conversation skills.

“What brought you out here?”

“I…” Sylvain paused with a thoughtful expression on, “needed some breathing room. This is far enough from my folks that it gives me that without being too unfamiliar.”

Felix scoffed and replied without thinking. “You could say that again.”

Mercifully, Sylvain read the way Felix tensed after he spoke and didn’t press. In the quiet of the walk back, Felix managed to relax enough to conclude that Sylvain wasn’t awful. In fact, he was mildly interesting in both appearance and conversation. When they returned to the end of the 5th floor hallway, Felix surprised himself by turning around to address Sylvain.

“I’ll see you around?” Felix hesitated with his fingers wrapped around the door handle.

Sylvain gave him another kind smile and nodded. “For sure. Have a nice evening.”

With that, they both retreated into their apartments. Felix was reeling from the entire interaction. His mental image of Sylvain had been shattered, replaced by something more gorgeous and terrifying. Realizing that it was still lingering in his mind was enough to wind him up, but the fact he didn’t especially want to shove it aside was too much to bear.

Feeling too many things to deal with at once, Felix locked his door and rushed to the bathroom. He turned the shower on and set the temperature extra hot, seeking a grounding sensation that would move him past meeting Sylvain. Stripping down out of his basketball shorts and ragged tee shirt–god, what a first impression he’d made–Felix stepped under the water and closed his eyes. Vacuuming the rest of the counters could wait.

* * *

Felix didn’t feel much better when he stepped out of the shower. He dried his hair with rough hands before wrapping the towel around his waist, ignoring his damp torso. He was more concerned with finding his phone, which he’d tossed on the couch in his haste to shower. He followed the familiar sequence of taps on the screen to start a phone call with Glenn. The line only rang twice before connecting.

“Alright, what’s the news?” Glenn chimed.

“I was really hoping he’d look as annoying as he’s been acting,” Felix sighed as he ran a hand down his face, only then noticing the blissful silence coming from Sylvain’s apartment.

To Felix’s chagrin, Glenn laughed. Felix knew where this was going to go, and he questioned why he even invited it by calling to begin with. He took his bottom lip between his teeth and closed his eyes as Glenn’s laugh settled down.

“You think he’s cute.” It was a statement, not a question.

When Felix stayed pointedly silent, Glenn continued. “So? Are you gonna do anything about it?”

Felix scoffed. “As if I’d have any idea what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean, but I’ll help. Talk to him.” Glenn’s smirk was audible in his smug tone.

Felix opened his mouth to snap at Glenn, but his brother continued before any words made it out. “And not your snippy, cold brand of politeness! I mean talk to him, try to get to know him a little. You could use something like this; a change of pace, if you will.” Glenn slipped into seriousness as he spoke, and Felix knew he’d listen to that honesty sooner or later.

After a pause, Felix chose to relent now. “Alright. I’ll try, but I make no promises,” he groaned.

Glenn cheered so loud that Felix pulled his phone from his ear until the shout came to an end. Felix rolled his eyes, but a hint of a smile crept onto his lips at hearing Glenn’s excitement.

“Alright, that went over way easier than I was expecting. I’m gonna leave you to it. Good luck, and tell me how it goes!” Glenn rushed out his words and ended the call before Felix could come up with a response.

Putting his phone into sleep mode, Felix stared at his reflection on the dark screen. It didn’t look quite right. He looked… exuberant. It wasn’t an expression he’d ever recognized on himself before, and it had come without invitation. Still, it was not unpleasant. Shaking his head away and shoving the brutally honest glass screen back into his pocket, Felix decided it wasn’t a bad night to turn in early.

* * *

When Felix went to take out his trash again after several days of relative quiet, he encountered Sylvain in the hallway. They both froze in surprise, but Felix shook himself out of it faster. With Glenn’s words from a week ago echoing in his head, Felix took a stab at making conversation.

“We seem to create trash at the same pace.” Felix regretted his comment as soon as it came out.

Sylvain laughed, his expression half shocked and half amused. When his laugh ceased, he didn’t say anything. Felix felt himself relax in the silence. The retort he’d expected to be dealt never arrived, and it was nice to not be criticised for his rusty socialization skills. What he got instead was Sylvain playfully swinging his garbage bag.

“I guess so. Well, how about we walk down together again?” Sylvain appeared less put off than he had last time they’d run into each other.

Felix pushed away his knee-jerk response to say no and instead focused on twisting his lips into a smile. “That sounds nice.”

Sylvain looked surprised for a fraction of a second before his easy, laid-back energy smoothed it over. “Alright, to the stairs!”

Felix walked cautiously beside Sylvain, close enough to keep company but far enough to prevent any accidental touches. “So, are you settled in?”

“I’d say so. I can finally start making it feel like home...” Sylvain sounded distant with the way he trailed off, but Felix had no idea what, if anything, to do with that. He decided it wasn’t worth risking an attempt at following that thread.

Instead, Felix changed gears. “So what sort of things do you do for fun?”

Sylvain was silent for a good minute. Felix started to question if Sylvain had heard his question. Thankfully, he was spared from asking again by Sylvain launching into an answer.

“It’s not the most engaging hobby, but I do listen to quite a bit of music. I also cook a lot. Oh, and I spend a lot of time at a farm about a half hour out. My mare’s out there.” Sylvain started out sounding stiff, but his tone grew warmer at the mention of his horse. It’s a sweet little detail Felix filed away as he swung his trash bag up into the dumpster.

Sylvain followed suit, dusting his hands off on his pants. Felix shifted his weight around awkwardly, unsure what to do now.

“What about you? What keeps you going through the days?” Sylvain leaned against the dumpster with a casual grin, and somehow looked nice against the ugly, smelly metal.

“Mostly working out, there’s a gym called The Big Bana a few minutes walk away that I go to. I work there, too. Other than that, I just watch TV and read on occasion.” Felix stumbled through his answer, the unfamiliar taste of talking about himself making him feel strange.

If Sylvain noticed Felix’s stunted answer, he didn’t show it. He instead pushed himself back upright and started walking back inside. Felix trailed behind him. When Sylvain got to the door, he held it open and gestured for Felix to head in first. Feeling his face heat up, Felix rushed in and hoped his blush went unnoticed.

“I may need to check out that gym you mentioned. I haven’t found anywhere to work out yet, but I shouldn’t wait too long.”

“You don’t look like you’ve missed too much gym time.”

Both of them stopped when Felix’s comment settled in their minds.

Felix wanted to slap himself. Somehow, “try to get to know your neighbor” had devolved into “turn off your filter and say whatever pops into your head.” It was not a fun change. He was too far from his apartment to dart away without making it worse, so he was going to have to put up with whatever consequences he’d brought on himself.

Sylvain’s response to Felix’s statement was to turn around with an unfortunately appealing glint in his eyes. His smile danced on the edge of wolfish. Felix felt as much as he saw Sylvain’s eyes slide over him. Felix urged himself to be annoyed by it, but he instead found himself preening under the attention.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Felix.”

Felix coughed, desperate to cover up his burning face. He was finally close enough to make a beeline for his door.

“Thanks! I should really finish cleaning. Bye!” Felix called out, glancing over his shoulder once as he turned the handle.

Felix just about fell into his living room, the door slamming closed the instant his body was out of the way. He pleaded with the floor to swallow him up. How could he recover from whatever that was? How could he look at Sylvain’s face without bursting into flames?

Groaning, Felix forcefully redirected his attention back on tidying up. He straightened the jackets by the door, then put all his shoes back into their cubbies. He moved into the kitchen, opening the cabinets under the sink to grab a fresh trash bag. He shook it out, and when he was done he could hear Sylvain doing the same next door.

Irritated, Felix shoved the bag into the can. He tore the edge as he wrapped it around the rim of the container. With the swinging lid slammed back on, Felix stomped off to his room to ignore the sounds of the thorn in his side next door.

* * *

When a knock rattled his front door, Felix paused the episode of Forged in Fire he’d been catching up on. Dusting some chip crumbs off of his shirt, Felix tugged it back to hang off of his body properly. Running his fingers through his ponytail, Felix turned the handle and opened the door. Sylvain was standing there, his eyes scanning over Felix. Felix shoved away the tiny part of him that drank in the attention.

“What do you need?” Felix asked, leaning against his door frame.

“Your presence is a lovely start,” Sylvain said with a wink that made Felix groan, “but even better would be your presence in my apartment later tonight.”

Felix stayed quiet for a few seconds, dumbfounded and fighting hope fluttering in his gut. “And why would I do that?”

Sylvain laughed, his flush suggesting he realized he forgot to explain himself. “For a housewarming party!”

“You’ve been here for two months. It’s kind of late for that.”

At that, Sylvain’s usual air of playful cockiness wavered. He looked more seriously at Felix. “I guess so. I just finally feel like I’ve got some friends I can invite.”

“You want me to be there?” Felix knew he gave off a clear signal that he was not the party type, so Sylvain’s invitation was a surprise, though not an unpleasant one.

Sylvain nodded, picking his smile back up. “Sure do! You’re the first one I’ve asked.”

Felix’s blush rose to his face faster than he could process the sensation. Sylvain’s eyes glittered like he knew what he was doing to Felix. Shaking his head so hard his ponytail came loose, Felix gathered up his nerve.

“Fine, but don’t expect much.” Felix grumbled and set his stare on the wall behind Sylvain.

Sylvain clapped, his smile breaking into an even bigger grin that wrinkled the skin under his eyes. “Perfect! I wouldn’t have it any other way. Come by at seven, and come hungry!”

Before he could get any more embarrassed, Felix stepped backwards and closed his door. Glancing into his kitchen, he saw that it was just a few minutes after five. How Sylvain planned to put together a whole party in less than two hours was beyond him, but Felix had his own things to worry about.

He flew through a shower in a daze. Though he was giving up his night to himself, Felix didn’t find the situation as detestable as he’d thought he would. He even found himself taking extra care in the shower to detangle his hair, scrub his arms down, and wash away every bit of residue that tried to cling to him.

When he stepped out into the steamy bathroom, he felt cleaner than usual. Felix combed through his hair and tied it back, taking an extra second to smooth out some particularly large bumps. With that out of the way, he hung his towel and threw open the door, invigorated by the rush of cold air.

Ignoring the grinding of moving furniture next door, Felix pulled open his dresser drawers. Nothing jumped out at him. Felix had the sudden realization he had no idea what he should wear. He grabbed his phone off of his night stand and started to call Glenn, but he stopped before hitting call. That would be far too embarrassing. Changing course, Felix dialed Ingrid’s number instead.

She picked up after four long rings, giggling. “Hey, what’s up Felix?”

Felix heard her girlfriend, Dorothea, laughing in the background, so he decided not to make the conversation any longer than strictly necessary. “I am going to a housewarming party for my next door neighbor in an hour. I have no idea what to wear.”

Felix could feel Ingrid smirk through the phone. “Oh, the cute one, right?”

“Ingrid,” Felix hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Okay, okay,” she said, calming herself, “just stick to, I don’t know, jeans and a nice shirt?”

Felix ruffled through his drawers. Most of his clothes were workout gear or loungewear, but he found a pair of black jeans buried at the bottom. They looked a little more fitted than he’d like, but he could work with it.

“Define ‘a nice shirt’ for me,” Felix said, setting the jeans on top of his dresser.

“Seriously?” Ingrid’s voice dropped low, and Felix knew she would be glaring at him if she could.

“Fine, I’ll figure it out. Talk to you later.” Felix groaned.

“Bye!” Ingrid chimed, back to her typical self as she ended the call.

With a huff, Felix closed the drawer with his hip and walked to his tiny closet. He sorted through the shirts hanging there, eventually coming across a dark green and gray button down. Eyeing the front of it, Felix pulled it off the hanger once he could confirm all the buttons were present.

Pulling his outfit on, Felix walked back to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He looked like he was back in college, trying to look… like something. He didn’t know what anymore. Still, as silly as the outfit felt, it was what he had. He didn’t have time to mess with it because it was already ten minutes to seven.

How the time flew by was beyond Felix, but he could hear music coming softly from Sylvain’s apartment. Feeling himself starting to retreat into his head, Felix knew he needed to get over there before he changed his mind. It wouldn’t hurt to be early, right?

Felix gathered his phone and keys, locking his own door then knocking on Sylvain’s. He heard footsteps run closer, followed by the door creaking open. Sylvain had a black apron on, with flour dusted all over it and streaked on his face. He seemed unfazed as he stepped to the side and gestured for Felix to come in.

“Excuse the mess, I was making chicken strips and fries for everyone,” Sylvain explained, wiping his hands on a clean part of the apron.

Felix hummed in acknowledgement. He could feel Sylvain’s eyes on him, as he often did, but it was different this time. He knew Sylvain hadn’t seen him dressed like this yet. It seemed the look was holding his attention, but Felix walked away from it to look around the kitchen.

“Looks good.”

“Thank you! I figured everyone would–”

Sylvain’s small talk was cut short by another knock on the door. Felix was relieved that he wasn’t the only one who had arrived early. Another redhead walked inside, followed by another one. Felix gawked at the trio, having never seen so many redheads in one place. The man had long hair braided over one shoulder, while the woman’s hair was down. After they all greeted one another, attention turned to Felix.

“And who might this fellow in the kitchen be?” The man with the braid asked, making a grand gesture in Felix’s general direction.

“This is my neighbor, Felix. Felix, this is Ferdinand and Annette,” Sylvain answered, walking to stand beside Felix and gesture as he spoke.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Annette waved and smiled.

Felix nodded at both of them and gave a stiff smile. Ferdinand walked over, apparently undeterred by Felix’s standoffishness. Sylvain chuckled under his breath and turned his attention back on plating food.

“Felix, it is a pleasure to meet you! Sylvain neglected to mention this, but we became acquainted at work. He is a teller during the shifts that I manage. He’s only been with us for a few months, but he’s learned quickly.” Ferdinand and no point paused to let Felix get a word in, or even ask why he was sharing so much information, and even went so far as to sling an arm around Felix’s shoulder.

“Uh… I see. That’s good to hear.” Felix replied, fighting down agitation as Ferdinand lingered in his personal space.

“So, what do you do for work?” Annette joined, keeping a more respectful distance and softer tone that put Felix more at ease.

“I work at The Big Bana. It’s a gym nearby.” Felix shifted his weight around to busy his body.

Annette stifled a giggle, prompting Felix and Ferdinand to turn and look at her. “You know that used to be a smoothie place called The Big Banana, right? They “renamed” it when the letters fell off.”

Ferdinand opened his mouth to speak again while Felix processed the information Annette just dumped on him, but they were cut off by another knock on the door. Sylvain rushed over to get it, and two men stepped inside. One had blue hair, the other green, and Felix distantly wondered how they dyed it to be so vibrant.

“Linhardt, Caspar! I’m glad you could make it,” Sylvain greeted, nodding to them respectively and saving Felix from another awkward introduction.

“I’d never miss an opportunity to grab some food and hang out with friends!” Caspar shouted, much louder than necessary for the small apartment.

The one who was presumably Linhardt yawned, and Felix decided he and Annette seemed like the most reasonable of the other guests. Before Felix could continue to question why he’d decided to come at all, Sylvain looked back over and Felix felt a twinge in his gut. Ah, that was why.

“Well, that’s everyone! How about we get started with dinner? We can’t let it get cold!” Sylvain perked up in a way Felix hadn’t seen before, his pleasantness and grandeur almost excessive.

With the ice half-broken, small talk began to fill the apartment. Felix settled into a quiet conversation with Annette, who seemed wise enough to keep it light. She never acted strange when he let conversation lull. The compassion and companionship was welcome. Sylvain was fun, but the pressure of growing feelings cut into the easy conversation they could have.

Finishing his last bite of fries, Felix felt himself winding down. His socialization quota had been more than exceeded for the day. Setting his plate in the sink, Felix began to strategize how he could bid Sylvain goodnight without interrupting his spirited conversation with Caspar, which Felix could hear plainly over everything else.

Looking over to assess the situation, Felix was overcome with a feeling comparable to that of the first time he’d seen Sylvain. It was less jarring, but just as warm and terrifying. Sylvain looked so bright, his face lit up and hands waving animatedly. His genuine happiness was infectious and beautiful. Felix felt captivated by the sight, and before he could stop himself, he sighed.

“You know he’s interested, right?” Annette betrayed Felix with her taunting yet caring tone.

Felix scoffed, whipping around to look at her. “I’m not interested.”

“I never said you were,” she answered, smirking.

Felix shook his head. “Well, you implied it. Anyway, I think I’m gonna head out. Nice to meet you.”

Felix started to walk away, but he stopped. Sylvain was looking at him. He was looking at him like he really _was_ interested. His eyes sparkled under the harsh yellow lights, crinkling as his smile spread wide. Felix felt his heart pounding, only for it to miss a beat when Felix winked at him and waved him over.

“Well?” Annette huffed.

Felix glanced at her. She looked at him disbelievingly before gesturing herself for him to go. Felix raised an eyebrow at her, but he didn’t need any more encouragement. Sylvain was watching him again, a bit more curious and cautious but still warm. Felix was already walking over by the time his mind caught up.

Maybe he could stay just a little bit longer.

* * *

Felix realized, with startling clarity, as Sylvain stood in his doorway with a tray of uncooked chicken and vegetables at seven in the evening, that they’d never shared a proper meal together. Besides the chicken strips and fries at Sylvain’s housewarming party, almost six months had gone by without them sitting down together for real.

Felix was confident they were friends by now, despite how little they’d actually socialized beyond shared trash days and passing greetings in the hall or elevator. Felix had even come to accept that he was genuinely smitten with Sylvain–not that it had spurred him to do anything about it. If Felix was honest with himself, he knew it was a shame that it took Sylvain’s oven breaking down as he was about to cook to remedy the situation.

“Sure, you can use my kitchen.” Felix stepped aside and Sylvain hurried in, making a beeline to Felix’s oven to get it pre-heating.

“Thanks, Fe, you’re a lifesaver!” Felix still hadn’t gotten used to the new nickname, but he didn’t dislike it, either.

Felix just shrugged, picking up a chair from around his small dining table to sit by the counter and watch. Sylvain flashed him a smile that made Felix feel more than he wanted to as he went about sprinkling a bit more salt over the pan. Looking closer, Felix could see that Sylvain had laid out some chicken breasts surrounded by broccoli, carrots, onions, and cauliflower. It looked good, but Felix had his own food to eat.

Standing up, Felix walked to his fridge. He pressed against the counter to give Sylvain plenty of room as he shimmied by. Opening the fridge, Felix started to rummage around. He nearly leapt out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“There’s plenty to share. Consider it my thanks for letting me cook here?” Sylvain offered, his gaze just a little too soft for Felix to say no to.

“Okay. Uh, thanks.” Felix looked away and closed the fridge, hoping he turned fast enough to hide the pink tinting his face.

“It’s the least I can do.” Sylvain squeezed Felix’s shoulder before walking away, and Felix took a deep breath to calm down before he did something stupid.

Felix went back to his chair, and before long, Sylvain had the food in the oven. He’d set the timer for 25 minutes. A few long, awkward seconds passed before Sylvain pulled a chair next to Felix’s. Then another few awkward moments hung over them, broken only by Sylvain’s phone going off in his pocket.

Sylvain groaned, and his face fell in a way Felix had never seen before. “Everything alright?”

Sylvain sighed, shaking his head. “Not especially, but it’s okay. I’m okay.”

“You sound like you’re telling yourself that as much as you’re telling me.”

At that, Sylvain turned and met Felix’s gaze. It seemed he was searching for something, but Felix didn’t know what. He kept his expression level. If Sylvain wanted to drop the subject, he could. If he wanted to talk, Felix would listen. Sylvain broke their eye contact, fixing his stare onto the floor.

“I… Can I just spit everything out? If I start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop, but there’s no one else I’d want to talk to about everything.” Sylvain’s tone was heavy and serious, so much so that it made Felix feel a twinge of concern in his gut.

“Sure. I don’t mind.” Felix gripped the arms of the chair tighter, bracing himself for whatever had Sylvain twisted up and being serious.

Sylvain took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I moved here after I ran away from home.”

Felix was taken aback. “You’re 26 and ran away from home?”

Sylvain laughed, but it was humorless. “It sounds pathetic, right? I’ll tell you because I know you won’t care, but my father is the CEO of Sahara. He expects me to take over when he retires, but it’s just not for me. I have no interest in running some mega corporation with a hand in everything. The worst part, though, and the biggest reason I decided to leave, is because he was trying to arrange a marriage. He insisted on me marrying this woman, Hilda. Her family operates one of our major shipping partners. It’s absurd, but he wanted to solidify the partnership like some Middle Ages King.”

Felix was absolutely frozen as he processed all of the information Sylvain had laid out. He recounted it in his head. First, he had run away from home, which explained the lack of friends and family when he arrived. Second, Sylvain was heir to one of the biggest companies in the entire world, but didn’t want anything to do with it. Third, he had run away to escape an arranged marriage put on him by his dad. Once those three pieces had registered in Felix’s brain, he felt ready to talk through more.

“Was Hilda so bad you had to run away to avoid her?” Felix asked, regretting the question as soon as it came out.

Sylvain didn’t seem bothered; if anything, he looked amused. “Oh, not at all. But neither of us swing that way, and I care about her too much as a friend to tolerate getting between her and her girlfriend. Of course, dad didn’t like hearing he wasn’t going to be getting any biological grandkids. It’s kind of hard to make that work with another guy.”

Felix felt like he was going to pass out. Knowing for certain that Sylvain was gay opened up the possibility of a relationship, something Felix had ruled out before. He hadn’t dared hope for otherwise, but now he couldn’t ignore the chance. Felix couldn’t find words to answer Sylvain, so he just stared at him.

“Sorry, I know that was a lot to just dump on you. I get it if you want to make or keep some distance after hearing all that…” Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck, giving Felix a sad smile.

“No! No, I don’t mind at all,” Felix answered, then his mind caught up with another question. “Would this Hilda happen to be Hilda Goneril?”

Sylvain gave Felix a funny look, but nodded. Felix smothered his face in his hands and tried not to laugh in shock. This was insane. It felt like he was living out some cheesy TV show or something. What had he done to deserve this mess?

“Why…?” Sylvain asked after a long silence, looking wary of Felix’s reaction.

“My older brother, Glenn, is dating her older brother, Holst.” Felix shook his head in disbelief.

“You’re Glenn’s little brother?” Sylvain gasped, astonished.

Felix nodded and Sylvain looked ready to say something more, but the shrill beeps of the oven timer going off interrupted them. Felix thanked the universe for giving him a moment to absorb everything that had just transpired. Glenn must not have known about any of this, or else he was an ass for not telling Felix anything about Sylvain. Actually, that wouldn’t be too hard to believe. While Sylvain got up to pull the food out of the oven, Felix pulled his phone out to talk to Glenn and get answers.

_“Did you know that my neighbor is the same Sylvain that Holst’s younger sister Hilda was supposed to marry?”_

It only took a few seconds for Glenn to reply. _“Yes.”_

 _“And you didn’t think it was worth bringing that up? At any point at all? >:( 🔪“ _ Felix’s hands were shaking as he held his phone.

_“Don’t pout. It wasn’t my information to share.”_

Felix glared at his phone. He knew Glenn was right. He hated it. He felt so overwhelmed, so shocked, so unstable after everything he’d learned in the last 25 minutes. Under all of those emotions, however, was his certainty that he still cared for and valued Sylvain. As more than a friend. This was as good a time as any to fess up about it, as far as Felix was concerned.

“Alright, dinner is all set!” Sylvain cheered, seemingly ignoring the whole conversation they’d just had.

With that, Felix decided maybe this was not the time to fess up. With a sigh, he got up and joined Sylvain in plating dinner. Sylvain was back to being cheerful, but it felt different. Felix didn’t press, returning smiles as best he could as they sat down across from each other. Sylvain dug in right away, so Felix followed suit.

Felix only made it a few bites in before he couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Thank you for sharing.”

Sylvain paused, fork halfway to his mouth. “Huh?”

“Thanks. For trusting me,” Felix mumbled.

Sylvain’s face softened again, and Felix softened with it. “Of course, Fe. I trust you more than anyone else I know around here.”

Yet again, Felix didn’t know what to do. He was in uncharted territory. His defenses were coming down, Sylvain somehow knowing what to say and do to take them apart. It wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“I’m glad to give you that,” is what Felix settled on, followed by taking another bite of food to save himself from having to say anything else.

The rest of dinner went by in relative silence, though it was an easier and more comfortable one than when they’d first sat down. Felix continued to mull over everything he had learned about, well, everyone. It was difficult to digest everything, but he was working through it slowly. Felix estimated he was about 60% through figuring everything out by the time they were done eating.

As usual, Sylvain broke the silence and did so with more gentleness and warmth than Felix thought was fair. “That was really nice. Thank you, Felix.”

Felix smiled, a genuine one, as he organized his silverware on his empty plate. “Sure, and thank you for sharing.”

Sylvain stood up and gathered his dishes before reaching over to take Felix’s. Felix started to object, but he couldn’t find it in himself to say anything. He did, however, follow Sylvain into the kitchenette.

“What are you doing?” Felix asked as Sylvain turned the faucet on.

“Cleaning up after myself? I’m not gonna come in here to cook and then leave you all the dishes.” Sylvain started scrubbing the plates, and Felix knew he was in trouble.

He offered quiet company as Sylvain washed all the dishes and set them out to dry. It felt silly, but Felix couldn’t get over how considerate the act was. It was more kindness than most people extended to him. Not that he blamed them–given how harsh and difficult he could be–but the change felt wonderful. The moment was over faster than Felix wanted it to be.

“Well, that’s all I had planned. I guess this is goodnight?” Felix wasn’t sure if Sylvain was inviting more, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to press right now.

“I guess so. Thank you again. Have a good night.” Felix walked Sylvain the few feet to the door and held it open for him.

They exchanged heavy looks and meaningful smiles as Sylvain walked out. Felix let the door swing shut and exhaled loudly once he was sure Sylvain wouldn’t hear. Glancing at his microwave clock, it was a few minutes past eight. It was early, but Felix wasn’t sure what else to do with himself, so he made quick work of getting into bed.

* * *

Attempting to go to bed was a fruitless endeavor. All he could think about was Sylvain, all the things he said and how much trust he had in Felix. The mental image of him being so damn considerate that he did the dishes also stuck hard into Felix’s mind. Felix rolled to his side to look at his alarm clock, grimacing when he registered that it was almost midnight. Four hours now of staring at the ceiling and rolling around in aggravation and he wasn’t even a little tired.

It didn’t help that Felix could hear what sounded like a TV playing in Sylvain’s unit. The changing channels confirmed that he hadn’t just fallen asleep with it on. The knowledge crawled under Felix’s skin. He was torn between hoping Sylvain was okay, wanting to confess like he almost had earlier, and wanting to tell Sylvain to turn it off so they could both try to sleep in peace.

Snatching his phone from the nightstand, Felix opened his text conversation with Glenn. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard, finding that no words came to him. Groaning, Felix forced out some emotion and prayed it would come through in text.

_“Glenn, I really like him. I should have told him. I don’t know what to do.”_

_“Tell him now?”_

_“It’s late and that would be weird. Besides, I can’t.”_

_“Why can’t you tell him?”_

_“Because. You know I’m not good at this stuff.”_

Felix expected another short, quick reply. When the dots indicating Glenn was typing lingered, and lingered, and lingered, Felix felt his adrenaline kick in. Glenn knew Felix was being serious, so he was stepping up as well. When the notification popped up, Felix gulped, steeled himself, and opened the message.

_“I know. The fact you’re asking me at all tells me this is important. If it’s important enough to ask for my help, isn’t it important enough to take the risk? Be as honest with him as you’re being with me and you’ll be okay. I promise.”_

Felix stared down at the screen, letting Glenn’s message soak in. He had a point. Felix never went to him for help, yet he’d reached out twice in one day about it. Putting his phone to sleep and setting it back on the nightstand, Felix resolved himself to a course of action.

Driven by the odd hour of night, his heightened emotions, Glenn’s encouragement, and the knowledge he had a sliver of a chance with Sylvain no matter what he told himself pushed Felix out of bed. His black t-shirt hung to his mid-thighs, his legs otherwise bare. Sliding on a pair of gray slippers and putting his hair into a messy bun, Felix let himself take action without his typical degree of thought. Carried by his feet acting almost on their own, Felix found himself standing in front of Sylvain’s door and knocking.

When the door opened, Sylvain stood inside with messy hair and boxers. Desire flared in Felix’s gut, but he extinguished the embers as much as he could. Sylvain looked rightfully baffled to see Felix standing there. Felix realized as they stared at each other that he had no idea what to actually say now that he’d gotten here.

“Hi,” Felix whispered.

“Hello,” Sylvain answered, something shining in his eyes that Felix was too scared to name.

“Can I come in?” Felix kept his voice low to conceal his emotions.

Sylvain stepped aside and gestured for Felix to come in, scanning over Felix’s appearance. Felix didn’t hesitate, passing the threshold with quivering hands while the distant sounds of the TV rang in his ears.

This was it. Something felt different in a way Felix couldn’t escape. Even if he could, he wasn’t sure he would. Felix walked over to the couch and sat down with his hands folded in his lap while the black leather stuck to his thighs. Sylvain joined him a moment later.

“I guess we–”

“I just wanted to–”

They both started at the same time, and cut themselves off as soon as they realized they were talking over each other. Felix flushed with embarrassment while Sylvain just looked amused. After a few seconds of silence, Felix broke and continued with what he needed to say.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Sylvain’s face melted, gaze soft like it had been earlier in the evening. Felix wasn’t ignorant of how his stomach fluttered in response.

“You could have texted me, but I appreciate you coming over instead.”

Felix glanced away, nibbling his lip. “I couldn’t have, actually. I don’t have your phone number.”

Sylvain laughed. The sound hit Felix deep in his chest, lighting him up and making him feel airy. It brought a smile to his face, one that was genuine and welcome. Sylvain finally settled down, shaking his head as he leaned back into the cushions.

“Wow, I can’t believe I never made a move for it,” Sylvain reached onto the coffee table, jotting down what was presumably his phone number onto a napkin that he handed to Felix.

“Thanks,” Felix muttered, shoving the napkin into his breast pocket.

“Well,” Sylvain gestured around the room, “I’m alright, just having a late night. I don’t want to keep you up. If I need anything, I will let you know.”

Felix worked himself up to meet Sylvain’s eyes. He could tell Sylvain was expecting him to head out. The lack of pressure or expectation for anything else put Felix at ease. So at ease, in fact, he could finally let what he needed to say bubble out.

“That’s not the only reason I came. I like you, Sylvain. As more than a friend. I’ve been up thinking about it since you left.” Felix looked away, feeling a pit in his stomach where those words had been sitting.

His gaze refocused on Sylvain when a gentle hand on his cheek moved his face back. Sylvain was smiling, so dazzling and bright Felix should have been blinded. Instead, he felt the glow rubbing off and adding to the lingering buzz of Sylvain’s laugh.

“I like you too, Felix. I have for a while.”

“We’ve only known each other for six months.” Felix tilts his head just a touch, confused.

“It didn’t take long. You’re captivating.”

Felix felt like his face was on fire. Feeling his mind rebooting like it had the very first time he’d laid eyes on Sylvain, Felix scooted closer and buried his face into the crook of Sylvain’s neck. Sylvain wrapped his arms around Felix like they’d done this a thousand times over.

Felix shuddered when he felt Sylvain lean down to hover his mouth by Felix’s ear. “Can I kiss you?”

Felix’s only answer was shifting in Sylvain’s arms to smash their lips together.

The kiss felt clumsy and right. It felt like two jagged pieces of a puzzle snapping together. It felt, to Felix, like he’d turned a page to a new chapter. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once, flooding him with feelings that left him helpless to do much beside channel himself into kissing Sylvain.

Felix slid his hands up Sylvain’s arms to hold the back of his neck. His fingers toyed with the short hairs there, the gentle touch becoming a grip when Sylvain adjusted his hand to cup Felix’s cheek. Sylvain’s other hand found Felix’s waist and rested there, soft like he was holding something fragile and valuable. Felix wanted to fly.

When the burning of their lungs drove them apart for air, they were both gasping for it with soft smiles on their lips. The shine on Sylvain’s lips drew Felix’s attention. The confirmation that this was real grounded him. Finally steadying his breaths, Felix started to question what came next. He wanted to kiss Sylvain again, but his fear of pushing too hard was suffocating.

“Stay with me tonight?” Sylvain whispered, resting his forehead against Felix’s.

“I…” Felix choked out.

Sylvain must have realized what Felix took the question as, because he rushed out a correction. “Not like that, I swear. Holding you just feels… nice. But only if you want that, too. What do you say?”

Felix didn’t trust his voice, so he nodded. It wasn’t as if he minded the idea, but they both needed some rest. Felix pulled back and stood up, offering his hand. Sylvain took the offer and rose beside Felix. He flashed a smile before starting towards his room. Felix followed, his anxiety dissipating with every step towards the buzzing TV and unfamiliar bedroom. By the time he stepped inside, past the gray door, he was assured in his decisions.

Sylvain hurried over and turned off the TV, whatever cooking show it had been displaying replaced with glassy, quiet black. The TV’s light was replaced by Sylvain’s phone flashlight. For whatever reason, he ignored the lamp on the nightstand. Sylvain set the device down, letting it illuminate the space. Felix scanned the room, soaking in the details he could in the low light.

Sylvain’s room was sparse, even in terms of decoration. The only thing that stood out was a shelf high on the wall, with books of various shapes and sizes leaned haphazardly against one another.

“Which side would you prefer?”

Felix sighed, even as he moved to lay on the side of the bed pressed against the wall. “You’re too damn considerate. Doing the dishes earlier really did me in. I hope you know that.”

Sylvain chuckled as he climbed in beside Felix. “I didn’t, but I’ll remember that.”

They stayed there for a while with several inches of space between them. Agitation and worry grew in Felix’s chest with every quiet, cold second in a strange bed. The feeling finally burst, though Felix knew his threshold for emotional honesty directed at Sylvain was already lower than it had been an hour ago.

“I thought you wanted to hold me. Are you just going to keep me waiting and go back on what you said?” Where Felix tried to sound harsh, he just sounded sleepy.

Within seconds, Sylvain threw an arm over Felix’s chest. Unsatisfied, Felix rolled to his side and scooted in Sylvain’s direction until his back was pressed to Sylvain’s chest. He felt a moment of hesitation before Sylvain melted into him.

A few small adjustments later and Felix felt right at home. He could already feel himself getting sticky where he was touching Sylvain, but it wasn’t enough of a bother to make him want to move. Between the ease of being in Sylvain’s arm and the absurd hour of night, Felix drifted to sleep shortly after they settled.

* * *

Felix’s eyes opened to a mint green wall and matte gray sheets. The room was too cold, the sheets too thin. Everything smelled unfamiliar. This was not his room.

As panic began to flood his half-awake mind, Felix recalled where he was and how he’d gotten there. Whipping around, he found Sylvain still asleep on the other side of the bed. He looked happy even as he slept, but he was flushed and sweaty. A grunt startled Felix into looking over Sylvain more closely to make sure he was okay. The bump in the sheets near Sylvain’s hips left Felix’s throat dry.

“Oh boy,” he muttered, laying back down with wide eyes.

After several minutes, Felix decided he really needed to get up. He made for the foot of the bed to climb out, but he stopped halfway down when he heard Sylvain begin to stir. Sylvain reached towards where Felix had slept, and the gesture stole Felix’s breath.

“Felix?” Sylvain called out.

“I’m right here,” Felix soothed, crawling back to lay on top of Sylvain’s hand.

Sylvain smiled, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He started to sit up but froze. He cleared his throat, apparently realizing the state he was in. Felix smirked. Surprise was a funny expression for the often charming Sylvain to wear.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry!” Sylvain gathered more sheets to throw over his groin.

Felix laughed, short and sharp. “Don’t be. I don’t mind. It’s kind of flattering.”

Sylvain stopped and looked up at Felix, desire seeping into his eyes. Felix welcomed it and leaned closer. Sylvain met him in the middle, just shy of their lips meeting. Felix nodded to grant permission, and Sylvain’s lips were on his before he’d even finished the movement.

This time, Felix let the flames roar unbridled in his gut. He’d been thankful they withheld last night as they processed everything, but he was certain he wanted Sylvain now that he’d slept on it. Felix took Sylvain’s bottom lip between his teeth and pulled to communicate his interest. The groan Sylvain responded with confirmed that he received the message loud and clear.

“Shit, Felix,” Sylvain groaned, rolling over so Felix was underneath him.

Felix smirked up at Sylvain, trapped between Sylvain’s arms. Sylvain swooped down and peppered kisses over Felix’s neck and shoulders, occasionally sucking and nipping to leave light marks over his pale skin. They lingered there until Felix’s hands found Sylvain’s hair and pushed downwards. Sylvain pulled away and looked at Felix with more clarity than was fair at that point.

“We don’t need to rush. Honestly, doing this is plenty good.” Once again, Sylvain’s considerate behavior drew Felix in.

“Stop being polite and kiss me.” Felix pressed into Sylvain’s head again while he laid his own back against the pillows.

Sylvain obliged and continued to kiss down Felix’s body. His hands found the hem of Felix’s long shirt and pushed it up until it bunched around Felix’s neck, exposing Felix’s tattered gray boxers. He showered attention over every strip of new skin he exposed, starting from Felix’s collarbones and working down to his abs.

When the opportunity presented itself, Felix sunk his teeth into Sylvain’s shoulder to give a matching mark. Despite Felix’s roughness, Sylvains lips moved lightly, careful as they roamed. The tenderness they carried made the feelings in Felix’s chest blossom more than he was prepared for. Letting those feelings overgrow felt freeing and drove out much of Felix’s prickly defensiveness.

As Sylvain’s lips approached his hips, Felix stifled a laugh. His ticklish stomach was always annoying, but right now it was downright infuriating. Even as Felix groaned, Sylvain didn’t miss a beat. He made his kisses more firm. Picking his mouth up off of Felix’s skin rather than dragging it to move helped, too. The thoughtfulness behind the change in his actions touched Felix. A smile spread across Felix’s face and he made no move to stop it.

“You look beautiful,” Sylvain mumbled, breath ghosting over the trail of hair on Felix’s abs.

Felix squirmed under the praise, yet he did not look away. Truthfully, Sylvain looked beautiful in his own right. Eyes blown wide, with flushed cheeks and swollen lips. His arms–Goddess, _his arms_ – were so toned as they held Sylvain steady around Felix’s body. Felix settled back down, taking a deep breath to brace for another round of vulnerability.

“I don’t want this to stop.”

Sylvain studied Felix, cool and even, before he answered. “I need you to be more specific.”

Felix knew that would happen. “Us. Whatever we started last night.”

Sylvain grinned. “I don’t either, so it won’t. There’s nothing to worry about.”

When Sylvain began to hoist himself up towards Felix’s chest, Felix stopped him with a firm and certain hand on a freckled shoulder. “I don’t want whatever we started this morning to stop, either.”

This time, Sylvain studied Felix like he was trying to discern the best way to pick him apart. Felix felt his body going hot under Sylvain’s burning gaze. When the eye contact grew too much for Felix, he moved a hand to the back of Sylvain’s neck and gently pressed down.

“Please,” he whispered.

Sylvain’s reaction was explosive. He nipped at Felix’s hips, playful and rough, which tore a cry from Felix’s throat. When the attention moved to the outline of Felix’s arousal, clear to see in his boxers, his back arched off the bed.

“Do you even know how good you look right now?” Sylvain asked, his voice already hoarse as he used his tongue to smooth the fabric over Felix’s cock.

Felix gasped and quivered. He pressed on Sylvain’s neck with more insistence. A breathy laugh was all the warning Felix got before Sylvain started mouthing him through the boxers.

The teasing only lasted a few long seconds before Sylvain’s fingers curled around the waistband of Felix’s boxers. “May I?”

Felix nodded. Sylvain pulled the garment down Felix's legs and set it aside. Felix sprang free, already damp at the tip. Sylvain licked his lips and Felix thought he was going to faint.

“Well,” Sylvain purred with a smirk that was equal parts devilish and playful, “I have never wanted to suck a dick so bad in my entire life.”

Felix started to snap at Sylvain being an insatiable fool, but any retorts he held in his mind dissolved before they made it to his tongue. His cock was enveloped in wet heat. Sylvain’s tongue felt like heaven, expertly tracing over Felix’s skin. Sylvain pulled back and swirled his tongue over Felix’s tip with a wink. Felix grunted, the gesture of a wink better received when it felt like it was fitting.

When Sylvain pulled away after a few minutes of swirling his tongue and hollowing his cheeks, he made a show of the string of precome and saliva connecting them. Felix moaned at the display, a spark of possessive satisfaction racing through his veins. Felix, finally knotting his fingers into Sylvain’s wild hair, began to guide Sylvain’s mouth back down. This time, Sylvain resisted and looked up.

“Do you want to keep doing this, or do you want more?” Sylvain’s tone was sweet, indicating the effort that went into keeping the question as non-pressing as it could be.

“I want everything.”

Sylvain nodded as Felix untwisted his hand from Sylvain’s head. Sylvain crawled up and opened the top drawer of his nightstand. He fished out a bottle of lube and a condom, setting them on the table before looking back to Felix.

“If at any point you change your mind, or are even unsure, stop me.” Apprehension dripped off of Sylvain’s body.

Felix didn’t understand the cause, but he understood the importance of addressing Sylvain’s anxiety. Felix nodded firmly, aware of how his body already ached to feel Sylvain again. Reaching over, he grabbed the lube and condom off the nightstand and handed them to Sylvain. Some of the apprehension dissipated as Sylvain took the lube.

Felix readjusted to settle into the mattress, eyes slipping closed as his back molded to the foam. It was half out of relaxation, and half to preserve the nerve that he knew would struggle under Sylvain’s intense eyes. Letting his legs fall open when Sylvain nudged at them, Felix nibbled his bottom lip. He was already thrumming by the time Sylvain’s first slick finger began to trace circles around Felix’s hole.

For all of the shaking Felix could feel, Sylvain maintained a gentleness that kindled the fire in Felix’s heart. Sylvain was going on a half an hour of being hard, but he’d not once paused to touch himself or even show that he was aware of his body. It was as though he was transfixed, so possessed by Felix that nothing else mattered. Felix felt drunk in the idea, and the appreciation for being spoiled mixed with the slide of Sylvain’s first finger to make Felix sing. Sylvain thrusted the single digits a few times before he found the spot that made Felix _howl_.

“Damn it, you sound amazing.” Sylvain was breathless.

“Keep going. It gets better,” Felix hissed.

Sylvain growled in response. A few seconds later, he began to work a second finger into Felix. The slow stretching as Sylvain pulled his fingers apart drove Felix mad. He was hornier than he could ever remember being, the need to be full and to hear Sylvain lose himself so strong that Felix was clinging to Sylvain’s fingers each time they withdrew. He felt filthy with the way he whined for each thrust. When Sylvain’s fingers withdrew for good, Felix glared down at a sweat-slicked and pleased looking Sylvain.

“Do you need more prep?” Sylvain asked, the threads holding him together fraying as he stared at Felix’s ass with open hunger.

“No, I need you.” Felix’s eyes opened wide in shock at his own vulnerability, but he refused to back down after stating something truthful.

Sylvain blushed, a flash of affection washing over his features before it was replaced with focus. Sylvain found the condom and wasted no time tearing it open. Next, he pulled off and tossed aside his boxers, letting his cock jump up against the red curls around his base and over his stomach. Sylvain rolled the condom over himself carefully, sighing at the touch. Felix watched the entire sequence of events with his teeth against the soft swell of his bottom lip.

“You can still stop me whenever you need,” Sylvain whispered, crawling up to hover over Felix, weight on one hand while the other lined him up to press into Felix.

“I know,” Felix grunted, wrapping his legs loosely around Sylvain’s hips.

Finally, dizzyingly, mercifully, Sylvain pressed into Felix.

Felix gasped and shook, feeling so full and content. It had been so long since he’d been with anyone at all. It felt indescribable for someone else to be the one pleasuring him like this. As Sylvain bottomed out, he slid his knees under Felix’s ass. The change in angle bumped Sylvain’s cock against Felix’s prostate. The stimulation earned Sylvain a surprised shout of pleasure from Felix.

“Keep going.” Felix reached up, wrapping his arms around Sylvain’s neck and pressing his nails into the soft skin.

Sylvain did not need to be told twice. He pulled his hips back, savoring the drag of friction, and paused when just the head remained in Felix’s clenching hole. Just as Felix began to feel agitated at being teased, Sylvain thrusted forward, slow and deep. The sensation left Felix stunned and delighted.

He’d never been treated like this, by himself or otherwise. Where Felix and his exes had been harsh and quick, Sylvain was dulcet and steady. Screams and white knuckles were replaced by sighs and lingering touches. Sylvain fucked Felix into the mattress with slow, measured thrusts that promised a long morning of pleasure. Felix, for once feeling truly consumed by the throes of passion, clawed at Sylvain’s back to ground himself to _something_.

“Fuck, Sylvain,” Felix groaned, digging in harder when Sylvain once again angled into Felix’s prostate.

Felix’s nails in Sylvain’s back changed something. Sylvain grew more confident in his movements, leaning down to hover close over Felix while he continued to grind his cock against Felix’s prostate at every opportunity. Felix’s guard cracked, just a fracture in his shield, as he began to vocalize without reservation. His guard fell away when he met Sylvain’s eyes, which swirled with a heady mix of affection and absolute desperation.

“Felix, I’m close,” Sylvain whines, hips stuttering between Felix’s thighs. “Goddess, you feel so good.”

Felix felt heat boiling in his stomach. Holding eye contact while Sylvain continued fucking him with more tenderness than felt fair so soon after their confession was almost too much.

Almost.

By holding eye contact, Felix was thrown into the most intense orgasm of his life. He squeezed hard around Sylvain as all the tension in his body snapped. Felix saw stars even as he fought to continue looking at Sylvain. Felix spilled onto his stomach, several spurts escaping him before his climax settled into a general ache of satisfaction.

As Felix panted through the last waves of bliss and tried to ignore his seed cooling on his stomach, he continued to watch Sylvain unravel inch by inch. Sylvain, too, continued to stare down intently. Felix knew he looked like a mess, with a splotchy red face and his hair frizzed in every direction. Judging by the way Sylvain dropped his head and yelped, he wasn’t put off by Felix’s appearance.

When Sylvain joined Felix back in reality, he fell on top of Felix. There was a squelching sound as their stomachs were pressed together and stuck with glue consisting of sweat and tacky come. Felix made a noise of disgust at it, though Sylvain’s response was to chuckle and nuzzle closer.

“We should clean up,” Felix grumbled.

Sylvain lingered for a few more seconds before offering any response. “Shower with me?”

Felix stiffened. Though they had clearly just had sex, the concept of bathing _together_ was a different type of intimacy. The kind Felix tended to avoid. He began to utter a refusal, but stopped when he remembered that marching over to confess his feelings last night is also a thing he would typically avoid. That decision turned out well, maybe this one could be the same.

“Okay.”

Sylvain shifted so he could look at Felix. He wasn’t quite smiling, but looked content. Felix raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked at the filthy mess sticking them together. Sylvain took the hint and got up the rest of the way. He strode into the bathroom, and Felix heard the water turn on a few seconds later. When the door closed, Felix figured Sylvain needed a second.

Felix did too. As nice as it was to have some resolutions after his months of foolishly pining for Sylvain, it also felt unlike him to let things go so quickly. He felt detached and a little numb, like he wasn’t the one doing all of these things. It was an odd sensation, one Felix hoped would go away before it could scare him back to old habits. Felix flinched and sat up when the door opened again.

Sylvain didn’t seem to notice the way he pulled Felix from his own head. “Alright, the water should be warmed up. Do you need a minute first?”

Felix shook his head, aware of the tension making his throat constrict. Sylvain turned and walked back into the bathroom. Felix stood and followed, taking a deep breath. This was silly, to be worried about a quick rinse off with… what were they now? Shit, he would have to ask. Maybe that’s what’s winding him up.

Finally walking into the humid, tiled room, Felix closed the door and stepped into the shower. Sylvain was already lathering his hair, working through the knots with his fingers. Once more, Felix felt like this was something too private to share. Without meaning to, Felix sighed.

Sylvain turned around, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Felix shrugged lamely. “What are we?”

Sylvain looked surprised. He leaned back and washed out the shampoo in his hair, probably to buy time to think. Felix didn’t blame him; he felt awkward standing there, stray droplets of water making him feel even messier than before. When Sylvain was done, he stepped aside and let Felix into the stream of water. He let it run over his face and soak his hair, but made no move to do more yet.

“What do you want us to be?”

Sylvain was too tender and considerate for his own good. For all his flirtatious attitude and messy home life, he was too full of the desire to be gentle for it to be fair. Felix’s heart fluttered and his stomach dropped when his next thought was that he now had to decide what he wanted. The feeling of detachment wasn’t gone yet, but maybe that was for the best. It made it easier to let his heart speak.

“I want us to be dating. Boyfriends. Going steady. Whatever else it could be called.” Felix didn’t turn around, just leaned over so the water hit the back of his neck.

“I think that sounds great. Felix, can I help you wash your hair?” Sylvain spoke quietly, as if he was soothing an anxious animal.

Felix chuckled, still reeling and unsure what else to do. “Sure.”

Despite knowing it was coming, Felix was still startled when Sylvain’s fingers appeared in his hair. He melted into the touch quickly, the circles Sylvain rubbed making Felix’s muscles relax and eyes droop. Though they’d gotten up not long ago, a tiny voice in Felix’s mind suggested a nap. Felix squashed that voice.

“Thank you,” Felix blurted, growing uncomfortable with their lack of conversation.

“And thank you,” Sylvain answered, choosing not to tease despite the fact that Felix could feel him thinking about it.

Sylvain quickly ran his fingers through Felix’s hair to undo the worst knots before stepping away. Felix rinsed the shampoo out, appreciating the mild spicy scent. When he finished with that, Felix scanned the shelves hanging off the showerhead for body wash.

“I’ve got it,” Sylvain interrupted, holding an open bottle towards Felix.

Felix put out his cupped hands and Sylvain squirted a dollop of dark blue liquid into his palms. Felix lathered it up between his palms and made quick work of washing his body, running his hands over his stomach last to avoid spreading the come and sweat anywhere else. Once he’d rinsed it all away, he stepped aside and let Sylvain do the same. The water turned off then, and Felix grabbed the towel Sylvain had set out on the sink.

“I don’t have a change of clothes,” Felix realized with a scowl.

“Do you have your keys? I could run over and grab you some.”

“I do, thanks.”

Sylvain just smiled and rushed through getting dressed while Felix waited in his towel. Left alone in Sylvain’s bedroom, Felix recognized that the sense of detachment that had plagued him before was gone. Instead, he just felt awkward in the face of something so new. That, at least, was something Felix knew he could handle.

With a faint smile, Felix sat down on the edge of the bed and decided to ask Sylvain to lunch when he returned.

* * *

As Felix sat on the couch in his apartment, curled against Sylvain’s bare chest with empty takeout containers scattered on his coffee table, he had the abrupt realization that their leases ended in a little over a month. They had not discussed their plans for the next year, not even in passing or jest. Felix pondered for only a second before he decided that discussing their plans was more important than watching another second of _50 First Dates_ . Even if it _was_ one of Sylvain’s favorite guilty pleasures.

“Where are we going to live next year?” Felix blurted, twisting to look up at Sylvain.

Sylvain looked down at him, incredulous. Felix furrowed his brow and sat up properly, peeling his cheek away from Sylvain’s pec. Dusting some crumbs off his sweatpants, Felix organized his thoughts. Why a simple question had caught Sylvain so off-guard was a mystery.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Felix asked, sharper than he intended.

Sylvain was unfazed after five solid months of adjusting to Felix. “I’m just surprised, sweetheart. That’s all.”

Felix gave him a look, urging for more, which Sylvain picked up on and addressed. “I’m just surprised it’s you asking to move in together instead of me.”

At that, Felix froze. Moving in together? That was ridiculous, an utterly foolish thought and–

Maybe it wasn’t so absurd to consider living with Sylvain. Reflecting on his choice of words, Felix concluded that it was obvious he suggested the arrangement, even if it wasn’t conscious. Coupled with the fact they bounced between each other’s apartments like a unit, it would make sense for them to consolidate into one space.

Felix felt his cheeks warming as he dwelled on the images of domesticity that raced through his mind. “I am too,” is all he could muster to say as Sylvain continued to stare in awe.

“Well,” Sylvain grinned, a dazzling display that fueled the love swelling in Felix’s chest, “how about we start looking tomorrow? I know this building only has one size of unit, so we’d need to look somewhere else.”

Felix nodded, offering Sylvain a smile in return. “Sure, we can sleep on it. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Sylvain answered, a blinding smile shining despite the flow of the TV.

Felix returned to where he’d been laying on Sylvain’s chest, but he couldn’t find it in himself to go back to the movie. Instead, he found himself thinking about his future in a more positive light than he had in years. The thought of leaving the building where he’d met and fallen in love with Sylvain was bittersweet, but even Felix could appreciate the symbolism of that change.

With a slight smile and pounding pulse, Felix let his eyes slip closed and turned his face into the crook of Sylvain’s neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/umbr_el_on) ✨💕


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